Gale's Story ~On Hold!~

Chapter 7

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Character and plot owned by Suzanne Collins!

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Chapter 7                                                                                                                            

We watched as kids jumped in glee or cried from sorrow as their names were pulled from the giant bowls. We saw the hundreds of children trying to volunteer in Districts 1, 2 and 4 earning them the name of 'careers'. We heard the utter silence as the youngest people allowed (or forced to be more exact) made their way up to the stage with only the howling of the wind making any sound. The capitol was even cruel enough to add clips of the heartbroken families at the end of the reaping into the 10 minute videos from each District.

They provided 24 families 2 hours of pure agony. I couldn't even imagine what the tributes were going through watching their enemies and own reapings, reliving the worst or best days of their lives.

I didn't only see what the Capitol was showing us but at the same time I also saw Katniss' reaction to each and every tribute. I saw the people she would choose as allies, as her biggest enemies. People we would decide to keep an eye on, people to fear.

All the tributes were good enough but two popped out at me, the tributes from District 11. Just like any other tribute before they were tan beyond compare to the others but this time their sizes also varied greatly. There was a small fragile girl named Rue who couldn't be older than Prim and a giant strong guy named Thresh who looked as old as me. Immediately I knew Katniss would team up with Rue do to how much she reminds us of Prim and would place the role of being her greatest fear on Thresh due to his giant size.

The careers we didn't even have to speak of, they were obviously people to watch and everyone knew that. After training for this their whole lives you wouldn't know what to expect of them till the training session with the Game makers where they would do whatever they could to  reach the maximum amount of points which was 12. Nobody has ever gotten it though. The closest they have ever gotten was 10 points and the tribute was a career. No surprise there.

After we saw each reaping the seal flashed again ending the agony and pain which would be repeated once more today, but it didn't bother me much that I had to see it once more. The next time I would be able to focus more and determine the people to watch more accurately as I was sure I had missed someone.

We all rose to exit the room and I lifted Prim off of me who had snuggled herself into me and pressed her head as far as it would go into my body when it was District 12's turn. Rory glared at me like I had committed some crime by comforting Prim when we separated off to our classrooms so we could grab our bags but relaxed as soon as I placed Prim to lean on him not me since we were going separate ways.

I told them to meet me at the front of the school in 5 minutes since I was taking them home today and they both quickly nodded before disappearing in the crowd leaving me between a mob of seam girls trying to talk to me.

"You heard what I just told them didn't you?" I asked them. They all nodded to shocked by the fact that I was talking to them to say a word. "Then move because I have to be at the front of the school in 5 minutes!" I told them, but it came out a little harsher than I wanted.

Finally one of the girls found their voice. "Do you have to?" She whined.

"Yes because I am one to keep my promises!" I told her while breaking threw and entering the classroom. I quickly signed out like we have to everyday when we leave, grabbed my bad which was now double the size it was in the morning since I had stuffed the game bag into it and ran to the entrance trying to dodge the waiting girls.

"Come on Gale! You aren't going to enjoy yourself in their company! Ours would be so much more entertaining... We probably would even get your mind off of Katniss. I mean there's no reason to sulk around about her! She is gone so you're just going to have to deal with it," screamed a voice after me that I recognized as the head girls of the 'anti seam' group. She just wouldn't leave me alone would she? So much anger boiled inside of me that I knew I would start screaming horrible things at her, but before I could I decided better of it and dragged Prim out behind me while Rory followed after giving them a piece of his mind.

"Get a life! I don't think you'd be running around hooking up with guys if your best friend was chosen! Not when you know they could win!" and with that he stormed out after us leaving the girls gaping at him.

Till the Hob we walked side by side in silence with the occasional sound of one of us kicking a rock. We didn't have anything to say to each other after that and had the sense not to go off trying to comfort the other of anything that happened in the past 2 hours.

When we reached the Hob Prim and Rory both stared in awe at the dark street which people lined from each side. Yelling, cursing, taking and the sounds of breaking objects streamed out. I could see why they were scared of it.

"You're ggg-going in tttt there?" Prim stuttered.

"Yes. I'll be back in a sec!" I told them.

"Are you sure you want to go in there?" Rory asked.

"Yes! You'll let me go in if you want dinner! We come here all the time with Katniss." I replied.

"Exactly you come here with Katniss! Now you're going in alone!" Rory pushed.

"I came here this morning Rory and nothing happened to me! I just traded the game! Don't worry!" I told him and with that I was off.

With the gold I got this morning I bought a bag of potatoes, some milk and cheese which we barely had the chance to eat. I picked up the bread Hector owed me and stuffed them all in the game bag. After exchanging a few words I then left rushing back to Prim and Rory.

When I got back to them I shook the game bag full of food and the 2 children's eyes went wide.

"I told you I was perfectly safe in there!" I told them laughing. "Come on, let's go home!" They both nodded their heads in agreement and we took off running to get home, pushing each other the whole way and laughing so hard we were rolling in the dirt. It was almost like being with Katniss again which made me feel empty inside. How much I miss her!